


i scramble away as you drag yourself up further (i'm screaming as you fall)

by Deca_Suffrage



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Death, Homophobia, I come back with THIS?, Ignore all the other tags, M/M, Mermaid Au!, Mermaid songs are weird, Midorima is a mermaid, Orgasms, Takao is a human, Violence, Yeeeppp...., Young Love, because I can't write a single story without sex in it, blowjob, by that I mean it's long, fall out boy title, happy valentine's day, i need to reevaluate my life, this is...actually true 9 out of 10 times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-30 19:05:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17834366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deca_Suffrage/pseuds/Deca_Suffrage
Summary: Once upon a time, a human fell in love with a prince, and the mermaid loved him back. This is why it is forbidden to fall in love with humans.There’s someone singing out here.





	i scramble away as you drag yourself up further (i'm screaming as you fall)

**Author's Note:**

> Sup! So...its been a while, and this was supposed to be for valentines, but since it's over 5K, you guys will forgive me right?

_ There’s someone singing out here.  _ Takao thought to himself as he scrambled over the rocky beach, drawn to the sound that the ocean seemed to emit. He wasn’t thinking as he waded through the water, waves crashing against his knees as the sun beat down on him. The music was  _ beautiful _ , as if the singer was singing to clear their mind and they were clearing Takao’s as well as he waded closer. He wasn’t thinking as to what he may find, only thinking of the honeyed song that drifted through his ears as a cloudless sky drifted above him.

_ What?  _ Takao thought as he edged around a boulder, just as he saw the source of the sound. A man was making that sound. No. That wasn’t a man. His torso may have pale skin just as a person would, but their hair was green- not a natural green that would blend in with the grasses below the surface; it was just a few shades darker. Their eyes were closed so he couldn’t see Takao- which was for the best because there was a tail just over a two-thirds of the length of their torso drifting in the waves.

_ Mermaid. _ Takao thought. He knew all the stories- the stories of mermaids with their dulcet songs who could attract even the purest of men to their clutches and take them away from everything their had ever known. The only thing worse were sirens, who could only sing what they were feeling and led men into the depths, furious with mankind for leaving them to die in the ocean.

“There is a mermaid.” Takao thought again- but he didn’t think it he said it, he knew because the mermaid stopped singing and snapped their head to look at him. Green eyes- just like his hair- widened with surprise before they narrowed with a hunter’s focus, glinting with malice.

Takao started to stumble backwards, just now truly remembering the  _ danger  _ that he was truly in, the magic of the song falling away to be replaced with terror. He sloshed through the water clumsily as the mermaid easily slid off their perch and rushed towards him, leaving a steady slipstream in their wake. 

They were meters apart to begin with, but the water acted like molasses and Takao couldn’t move his limbs as fast as the mermaid, who was quickly closing the distance between them. Takao turned the water into a frothy slosh as he tried to scramble away, bouncing backward awkwardly as the mermaid continued to close in on him. 

Just as Takao decided to take his eyes off the mermaid and take his chances with swimming, there were two hands on his legs, and he was dragged underwater as he clawed for the air. He turned around to look at the mermaid, whose hand tightened their grip on his thighs. Takao lashed out as hard as he could, aching for air as the mermaid pulled him down.

The mermaid reeled back after one of Takao’s kicks struck the supple flesh of the mermaid’s face, green eyes closing to avoid the blossoming bloom of blood that spread through the water as Takao began to swim for his life.

He changed his course from land to the boulder that the mermaid had just swam off of, knowing that there was no way that he could make it back to land.

Takao scrambled up just in time, just as he climbed out of the water a hand gazed the bottom of his foot, reaching out.

“Stop!” Takao screeched, scrambling further up the rock as a hand reached out of the water, grabbing around for him. He cut his hand on a rock, but he kept on climbing up as the mermaid drew itself out of the water, flailing wildly for Takao, “Please, stop!” He screamed again, nearing the highest point of the rock, but the mermaid was gaining on him, pulling itself out of the water.

Hair that he once thought was so fascinating was dripping with water, its pale face twisted into a scowl as it climbed after him, and every scale was reflecting the light of the cloudless sky. 

“...” The mermaid didn’t respond, instead kept on climbing after Takao, eyes narrowed to slits.

His hands were covered with lacerations, but he kept on climbing, rocks digging into weak flesh. His legs were weak and struck with nail imprints, and he was terrified to his very core, but he kept on climbing up, up, up...until he couldn’t climb up anymore.

But the mermaid was still climbing after him, lifting itself up with lean arms, its gleaming tail spotted with dust, and trailing a soft green liquid.

“What do you want?” Takao screeched, his heart ready to beat out of his chest, breaths coming so quickly that he couldn’t think straight, his body frozen as he waited for his death, knowing that he did all that he could, nothing that he could do from now on could avoid it.

“Tell-no-one.” The mermaid hissed, voice scratched, but low.

“What?” Takao asked, out of reflex.

“Tell no one.” The mermaid repeated, crawling closer to him. Takao watched the mermaid, strangely devoid of fear, for the first time noticing the grunts of pain and how it seemed to be short of breath. He glanced back down towards the soft green liquid, then towards its tail.

“You’re hurt.” 

“Tell-no-one!” The mermaid repeated, snapping Takao out of his feverish thoughts as it crawled closer yet again, lips curled back to a snarl, but eyes unnarrowed.

“Yes.” Takao agreed, nodding once. The mermaid looking at him for a few seconds, almost as it was trying to discern if Takao was lying or not, all the time its breaths becoming pants and it became even paler.

The two creatures stared at each other, one of them in their own element, waiting for a verdict, while the other one was out of its element, and producing the verdict that would doom the first.

The mermaid moved first.

Takao watched as the mermaid made its descent, eyes still on him as it slowly moved backwards, tail, once a grace and a gift in water, bending underneath it as it moved backwards, eyes on Takao all the while.

Its blood was smeared all over the stone, but it seemed to ignore that; instead it kept on moving backwards, eyes focused on Takao. Not on itself.

Its eyes widened for a second, as it a sudden realization had just hit it, before its arms shook, then crumbled, falling hard against jagged rock with a wet flop, almost comical.

Takao would have laughed if it hadn’t been about to kill him.

Its breathes were labored- as if he couldn’t get enough oxygen to keep going, but even through that and its collapse, it still turned his head to look at Takao, green eyes glassy.

“You-’ve-won.” It said, but its eyes didn’t. Its eyes were still fighting for survival, and it knew, in it roots, that its only hope of survival was Takao.

The mermaid’s eyes closed and its body relaxed completely.

Takao stared at it for a moment--only a moment. Then he began to climb down off the rock.

He reached its body before half-tugging, half-dragging it into the water.

The water was pleasantly warm, the perfect temperature for a light dip.

Takao carefully submerged its head under the water, and waited for a sign.

Its eyes opened, slowly at first, then widened in shock. Takao was shoved back by a powerful force- its tail hitting his chest. He stumbled backwards, and that was all it needed for it to slip away, twisting out of Takao’s arms, and disappearing into inky depths.

Takao watched before he shivered, its blood on him, freezing him from the inside out before he wiped it off.

Takao watched as the sun moved across the sky, as the water became colder.

He watched until he heard something--something that he didn’t even know that he had been waiting for.

_ “Thank you _ .” The mermaid sang for him. And that was it.

Takao left.

 

 

 

 

_ It’s singing again.  _ Takao thought as he crept closer, this time staying on dry land, where it could not survive. The mermaid was almost out of sight, though he could just about see green hair behind a rock- smooth this time.

_ What if someone finds him?  _ Takao thought, panicked. He only came here out of necessity- but what if someone had followed him? The mermaid would kill both of them. Even though he was safe on land, he should also have been safe on the boulder, but it still crawled after him, like a snake crawling after a frog.

“I-I can hear you out there!” Takao yelled out, stumbling over his own words, “Someone else-” His voice died out as the mermaid’s head snapped around, and their eyes were still green, sharp even with the distance- almost as if they were glowing.

He stumbled backwards as the mermaid dipped under the water, leaving the same slipstream behind it as it sped towards land. Takao’s heartbeat sped up again, and he began to panic. He knew that he had nothing to be scared of- well. Maybe he didn’t. He thought he didn’t.

Takao jumped as a head broke through the water, green hair dripping water as the mermaid tilted their head to look at Takao.

The mermaid tilted their head, as if to say  _ What?  _

“I-uh- I could hear you.”

The mermaid gave Takao a hard look.

“What if I hadn’t heard you- what if someone else had?” Takao explained, as understanding seemed to dawn on the mermaid. It nodded slowly, as if to say that it understood. They both waited for a few seconds as the piercing sun beat down on them.

“Can you understand me?”

“...” There was a pause from both of them, neither of them speaking, but both of them looking the other in the eyes. The mermaid broke contact first, but only to dip the bottom part of their face beneath the water. When they came up, they said,  “Some-what.” But it was garbled and it sounds hard on an unpracticed tongue.

“Oh.” Takao said in response, and the mermaid dipped the bottom half of their face below the water again, but neither of them spoke. Eventually, the mermaid slipped away, leaving Takao to stare at the retreating body before he stood up as well, and walked away, back to his home.

 

 

 

 

 

Takao’s not sure how’s he gotten here. He’s just turned twenty, and since he was now a man, all of his peers brought him out for drinks.

It’s been just about a year since he’s been here. He never came back after that day, after talking with the mermaid. He never had a reason to and never considered any possibilities.

It was always so bright when they met.

Now it’s raining, so hard that it hurts when the rain hits his skin.

He’s doesn’t know that he’s walking forwards, walking towards the ledge.

He doesn’t mean to slip.

He doesn’t mean to fall.

He just does.

 

 

 

 

 

When Takao woke up, it was to a pair of green eyes staring at him.

Green,  _ green  _ eyes.

For a second, they both stared at each other.

Then that second turned into two.

Then four.

Then a minute had passed, but both of them continued staring, both waiting for the other to speak.

“Thank you.” Takao spoke first, though he was still staring at wet skin- just a couple of shades lighter than his own. Not cracked like dried earth, as all the stories told- the stories of the tempting seductresses that would lead men down to the depths, and let them drown. He hadn’t noticed it before, in his terror, but he noticed it now as they were face to face.

“You-are-wel-come.” The mermaid replied, every syllable cut up, “What hap-pen-ed?” It asked, tilting its head as it broke the stare, drifting backwards. Takao sat up before he answered, taking a look at the cavern that the mermaid had brought him to.

There was moss lining the wall, lighting it up- almost like green fireflies had settled along the wall in clumps, climbing over each other in an excited fervor. The mermaid had dipped back into the water, watching Takao with...curious eyes that raked over his body several times over before crawling back to Takao’s eyes.

Takao was staring as well, eyes traveling over a long tail, drifting along in the gentle waves that lapped against the mermaid’s chest. Against a strong chest with lines of water dripping off chiseled abs, partially hidden below the water. The mermaid was...handsome, startlingly so. Takao would be the first- and was the first- to say that he preferred guys, but he didn’t know how  _ anyone  _ can look at the mermaid for long and not want them.

Takao dragged his eyes to the mermaid’s own just as the mermaid did the same. Their eyes met and both of their eyes widened- in surprise, but no disgust.

“T-Thank you.” Takao stuttered out, still staring into remarkable green eyes which seemed to draw him in, the hunter that had saved his life, “Oh- I fell.” Takao explained, though it felt like it was missing the strength behind it.

“You-haven’t-been here-in-a year.” The mermaid replied, a faint flush rising to his cheeks.

“I was afraid.” Takao admitted, a heat coiling throughout his whole body, “You almost killed me the first time.”

“I-was-scared-as-well.” The mermaid admitted.

“Oh.” Takao replied as he shifted closer, their faces nearly touching as the mermaid moved closer as well, “Sorry.”

“Why-are-you-sorry?” The mermaid said, head tilting in confusion.

“Nothing.” Takao said, shaking his head.

There were a few more seconds of silence as neither of them stopped staring, nor started talking.

“Do you-want-to go-back-up?” The mermaid offered.

_ No _ . “Yes, please.” Takao replied, tearing himself away from the mermaid’s eyes, “But, can I at least get your name first?” The mermaid raised an eyebrow with skepticism, but they still answered.

“Midorima-Shintarou.”

“Takao Kazunari.”

 

 

 

 

 

Takao was walking along the beach, looking for a certain mermaid. The night was nearly upon them, and it was the perfect time to sneak out considering the condition he was it.

“Takao.” Takao turned around to find Midorima in a small wading pool. He was comically large compared to it, only room for his torso. Midorima looked both relieved to see him, and flushed with embarrassment before they flushed for another reason as he took Takao in.

“Shin-chan,” Takao chirped, “Are you stuck?”

“Not in the slightest.” Midorima replied, his voice smoothed over from all the time they had talked, finally used to speaking above water.

“C’mon.” Takao wrapped his arms around Midorima’s torso, and pulled him close to his chest. A green tail wrapped around his waist, pulled them closer together, “Let’s get you back to the ocean.”

They, of course, had to go the long way; the last thing that they would ever want would be to be found out, even if it was after dark.

When Takao let Midorima fall out of his arms, Midorima slipped into the ocean- his tail still wrapped around Takao’s waist. Takao fell in with a splash, sputtering as his head broke water.

“Jesus Shin-chan!” Takao whined as a small smile appeared on Midorima’s face, “You do know that I breathe  _ gas  _ air, remember that?”

“Of course I do.” Midorima stated plainly, rolling emerald eyes that Takao had fallen for,  _ hard _ . The mermaid drifted closer, as if he were a paper in the breeze, “You need to get more used to the water.” Midorima breathed against his lips. Takao shuddered, keeping himself from melting into Midorima and the low tones of his voice.

“You don’t seem  _ me _ dragging you onto land.” Takao snapped back before he gave in and pressed their lips together, twisting around Midorima as he melted into him. Midorima’s tail wrapped around him, lengthy muscles pulling them together. They both floated together as their lips met for a second time, tongues intertwined in the other’s mouth.

_ Shin-chan tastes like seawater. _ Takao thought, but he didn’t pull away. Instead of being unbearably salty, it was more like an enhancer.

“God…” Takao breathed as they both broke apart to gasp for air- Midorima dipping his head underwater, “I needed to kiss you again.”

Midorima trills, and  _ want _ slices through him as Midorima kisses him again. Takao wound his wet fingers in Midorima’s hand and tugged hard, a little  _ slosh  _ as their bodies pulled each other closer. They kissed like they hadn’t seen each other in years, but it had only been months; since Takao had left for university.

Their passionate kiss ended up with both of them dipping into the water for a few seconds. Midorima pulled them back to the surface, and Takao wiped away wet strands from Midorima’s head. The green strands weren’t matted- instead they seemed to glisten, salt crystalline in green hair.

Midorima trilled, low and husky, and Takao kissed him again, hands roaming over slick scales which gave to his gentle touch, “Takao…” Midorima murmured against his lips, tail twisting further around Takao’s legs, binding his ankles together as his hands drifted up Midorima’s back, scratching lightly.

“ _ Kazunari _ .” Midorima said revertently, mixed with a soaring song. A shiver ran down Takao’s spine and he moaned into Midorima’s mouth, scratching Midorima’s back with his nails before he reached one hand down and repeated the same motion with his scales.

“Kazu-” Midorima tilted his head back in ecstasy, breaking the kiss.

He looked beautiful against the twilight sky, pale skin stark against the dark backdrop, some strands of green hair dipping into the clear black water.

“It’s only been four months.” Takao laughed as he licked a stripe up Midorima’s neck, water sloshing around him as he moved closer yet again, skin to skin.

“It’s been four months.” Midorima replied, bringing his head back up to look Takao in the eyes just as a wave crashed against Takao’s back, “It’s been too long.” Takao sighed happily as Midorima returned the favor, trailing hot kisses up his neck.

“We should...ah-fuck; alcove.” Takao stumbled over his words as Midorima bit his neck, sending a rush of want through him.

Midorima shuddered against him and Takao could have sworn that he felt the shudder in every muscle of the mermaid’s body.

Midorima didn’t waste any time before he wrapped his arms around Takao’s waist, pulling him below the surface. Takao didn’t fight it, didn’t panic as he lost sight of the surface.

The ocean may have seemed dark and desolate from above, but once inside it was bursting with bioluminescence, from the plants to some fish that floated by as they both descended below the water. The water was cold, of course, but Takao was nestled against Midorima’s torso, so he didn’t feel as cold. Every movement was as graceful wave, and Takao felt as if he could fall asleep with the gentle rhythm.

The alcove was just on the edge of a shelf, not far, but it was always a reach for Takao whenever they dove down.

As soon as his head broke water, he gulped in air; his lungs were burning slightly, “Shintarou.” Takao breathed as lips trailed down his neck as Midorima guided them towards the edge of the hole, eyes narrowing in an attempt to replicate his sight in the water, “ _ Shintarou _ ,” He said again as Midorima lifted him onto smooth rock. On instant he wrapped dripping legs around Midorima’s waist.

“ _ God, Shintarou _ .” He moaned out as one hand wrapped around his erection, already dipping beads of precome. Takao hadn’t even bothered with clothes as he knew what was going to happen once they met again, after the wait.

Midorima trilled as Takao pressed his feet against the sensitive scales of his ass, lifting himself out of the air slightly so that he could trail kisses down Takao’s stomach. Takao groaned as searing kisses were pressed against his skin, Midorima dripping some water onto him, but that didn’t deter his arousal at all.

They had done this so many times that he had gotten used to it. The lustful trill ran through his brain as Midorima began moving downwards, kisses edging lower and lower.

“ _ Shintarou _ . Fu-ah!” Takao’s back arched as Midorima’s mouth closed over his cock, hot and wet. The alcove was filled with the sounds of wet slurping, sharp moans, and the churning of water. Takao’s eyes drifted to the ceiling, dotted with glowing moss as heat coiled in his stomach as Midorima brought him closer and closer to the edge.

“I-Imagine your subjects seeing  _ this _ .” Takao chuckled to himself, but his eyes rolled back as Midorima gave a particularly hard suck, one meaning that he didn’t want to talk about it. Midorima was a prince all right, but after so many people that the title was mostly a formality. It was the reason why, despite being royalty, he was able to be with Takao all the time.

Takao’s back arched as he came, Midorima’s name falling from his mouth as he came. His toes curled around the edge of the smooth rock and his hips jerked up as he came, cum spilling into Midorima’s mouth. He panted as he came down from his high, and Midorima slipped back into the water to take in a couple of mouthfuls of oxygen.

“‘It’s only been fours months.” Midorima mocked after Takao sat up, though his voice was an octave lower, husky against Takao’s ears. Takao smirked at him before he slipped into the water, clawing at sensitive scales as Midorima shuddered.

“Shut up.” He raked his hands down the scales of Midorima’s ass and the mermaid’s eyes rolled back, mouth opening in a shaky trill. Takao loved that his scales were sensitive, and he knew just where felt the best, when to press harder, how to use his nails just right to make Midorima fall apart, shuddering again his shoulder.

“Ka-Kazu~” Midorima sang, his tail wrapping itself around Takao’s body, “God-yes!” Takao lapped at his collarbone as he began to tremble in ecstasy, eyes slipping closed as he came closer and closer to the edge. His songs had begun jumping octaves, going from low and husky to high and excited, or shivering with want.

Midorima sang out his name when he came, overrun with sensations as he sank below the water, taking Takao with him. Takao’s first instinct was to scramble for the surface, but instead he was captivated by the look on Midorima’s face.

His eyes were screwed closed, though he still looked relaxed, mouth letting out a small stream of bubbles.

_ Beautiful _ . Takao thought to himself before Midorima’s eyes opened and he carried them both to the surface.

 

 

 

 

 

“There’s no time to talk.” Takao whispered, holding back the urge to glance behind him as he dove beneath the waves, the ocean lit up by the morning sun. His clothes bogged him down, but he knew that he had to be as inconspicuous as possible. He turned towards their alcove, but Midorima had already grabbed his waist and was speeding them both towards it, an urgency there that never needed to be there before.

“They suspect something.” Takao said just as his head broke through the water, wading in the water. He blurted it all out at once, and he didn’t even wait for Midorima to react before he closed his eyes and carried on, “Someone tried following me one day and they heard me talking to someone- that’s what they claimed! They heard me talking to  _ you _ !”

Midorima placed his hands on Takao’s shoulders in a calming motion, but it didn’t calm Takao down at all.

“Takao-”

“They heard us  _ together _ !” He wailed, talking over Midorima as he buried his head into the crook of Midorima’s shoulder, “Someone may have followed me  _ today _ -”

“ _ Takao _ .”

“What are we going to-?”

“Kazunari!” Midorima snapped at him, using his first name which he usually restricted just to sex.

“What?” Takao snapped, eyes open as he tore himself away from the crook in Midorima’s neck, “What  _ can we _ -”

“Run away with me.” Midorima said, all in one breath. As if he was afraid to say it but he had said it so many times before.

“-do!” Takao continued, not truly processing what Midorima had said until a few seconds had passed, “No.” He said quietly, tearing himself away from Midorima’s grasp.

Midorima drifted closer before he continued, “Run away with me- we can run wherever we want- as long as it’s close to water.” Midorima rushed out, his tail reaching out to wind around Takao’s waist, “We could find somewhere that would accept us- for being both the same sex and different species and-”

“You’re in line for the throne!” Takao screeched, lashing out at Midorima’s tail until the mermaid let go of him, like all of the other times when the subject of running had come up, “And all my family is still here-”

“ _ They would not think twice about condemning you if they knew about us. _ ” Midorima growled, voice reverberating through the alcove, reflecting layer of pain and terror that Takao ignored.

“We. Can’t. Leave.” Takao snapped, before he tried to let go of his momentary anger, “I love you- I love you will all my heart- but we can’t just  _ run  _ from it all.”

“We can.” Midorima responded bitterly, and he didn’t say anything else before he slipped out of the alcove, leaving Takao alone with bioluminescent moss.

“We can’t.” Takao responded to empty air, and  _ god _ , he hoped with all of his heart that that was true and Midorima wasn’t right.

 

 

 

 

 

Takao wanted to shield his eyes from the pouring rain, but he couldn’t as his hands were tied behind his back with rough ropes that cut into his wrists, the type of ropes used by fisherman for securing a cage.

They had all laughed at him when they caught him sneaking out, laughed at his pitiful attempts at escape, laughed as he slowly lost hope in escaping. 

These were the people that he had known all his life, and here they were, all laughing. The only people that weren’t was his family. His parents had on a look of quiet reverence, but he knew that was fake.

He also knew that they had turned him in. They had known about his comings and goings from day one. He loved them too much to just disappear without saying anything and making them gather up a search party just as would slip into bed. 

They didn’t love him enough to not fold under the pressure.

His sister’s face was taut with anger as her eyes roamed over all the people there, small hands tightened into fists.

He doesn’t blame them as much as he should.

In fact, he hates himself more than them.

Hates himself for falling in love, hates himself for not running away, hates himself for not putting himself out of his own misery years ago, if he just hadn’t helped Midorima back into the water.  _ He hated himself for letting Midorima live. _

“Hey, mermaid faggot.” One of them said, kicking Takao in the stomach, adding to the already multitude of bruises, “Doya think your lover’s on the way? Or is he already here?” He scoffed, waiting for Takao to answer.

“He’s not going to come.” Takao lied, and he knows that they know he is lying.

Midorima would come.

Whether it be rain or sun or sleet, Midorima would always come.

He always had.

“Lying faggot.” They snarled, kicking Takao in the back, just inches from the edge of a cliff. It was a sheer drop from there into the water.

“Drop him!” One person shouted from the back of the crowd, straining their voice to be heard over the roaring winds. Others took up the try and it soon became a chant, a chant for him to thrown off a cliff and drown. A chant from the people that he had known his entire live, all of them turned on him instantly.

_ There’s someone singing down there.  _ Takao thought, and he didn’t know why, but that thought felt familiar. But the voice was.

The voice was Midorima,  _ angrier  _ than he had ever heard the mermaid, even when they were on such vastly different sides of an argument which couldn’t be reconciled.  _ I’m still fucking dancing around it _ . Takao thought to himself, and he would have smiled if he could.

Angrier than when Takao always said that he wouldn’t run away. When Takao came up with excuse after excuse, blaming his fear on family, on never finding a home. Never on being afraid however. Never that.

Midorima’s trills were heartfelt and trembled with anger and hatred and  _ promises _ .

Promises to destroy them all if they ever  _ dared  _ to hurt him.

Promises to leave peacefully if Takao was safe. Whether he left with Takao, or without him.

“Shoot the damn thing!” One of them shouts as Takao began sobbing, fat ugly tears running down his cheeks. Several of them load crossbows, and Takao strained against the ropes, screaming for Midorima to  _ leave him and run _ . 

But Midorima never listened.

He slid onto a rock and faced them all. 

Midorima looked so small down there, facing down people ready to kill him without a second thought.

“Aim!” Someone yelled, and Takao began to struggle  _ harder _ . Harder than he had ever thought possible- until his wrists were bleeding and his chest heaved with exertion- until he managed to slip out of the ropes.

“Fi-” Takao tackled the closest person to him, and they didn’t get to finish talking before they fired prematurely, the shot soaring off, “Fucking faggot.” They snapped before they gave Takao one last kick to the side- sending him off the edge of the cliff.

Takao tried to scramble for any holds, but there was nothing for him to hold onto before he fell.

He slammed into the water like a brick, and it knocked all the air out of him. He lost which way was up and which way was down until he looked at the bubbles from his impact.

Takao followed those up, taking in a big gulp of air before arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him close to Midorima’s chest, the mermaid speeding the both of them air from the place that he had lived all his life.

Full of people who had turned on him, turned on  _ them _ . Ready to end them both.

In that moment, Takao would have laughed if he wasn’t underwater. It still wasn’t funny, but he felt  _ hope _ . Hope that they would make it out of here. Hope that they could find a home. Hope that they could have a future together.

In that moment, Takao felt hope, knowing that, despite differences, they were meant to be together.

But knowing something, and that thing actually happening are two very different things.

They were  _ never  _ meant to be.

One would always need water, and the other would always need the atmosphere.

Takao arched his back and Midorima angled himself upwards as Takao tried to hold his breath for just a little bit longer and his lungs burned. Takao swallowed a greedy mouthful of air as his head broke the surface.

Midorima’s grip loosened, so he swirled around, a smile of elation on his face.

Just in time to see three projectiles- two from a gun and one from a crossbow- sink into Midorima’s back, adding to the blooming wound spreading from his chest, a light green blossoming from the wound in his chest. Green eyes widened with panic as he gazed at Takao.

Takao grabbed Midorima’s body and dragged it towards him, panicked, hoping,  _ hoping _ that Midorima was going to be find, that it would heal, that they could run. He tried to drag Midorima underwater, but Midorima was working against him, dead weight in his grasp.

“Shintarou!” Takao screeched, pulling Midorima’s body close to him, searching for signs of life that he knew weren’t there, “ _ Shintarou _ !” He wailed as he pressed his hand against Midorima’s chest, hoping to listen for a heart-

_ Ouch _ . Takao thought to himself as he tried to look down to his neck, but something was blocking his view. He tried to keep on holding onto Midorima, but he couldn’t. He felt tired. Takao sank below the water as red blood billowed from the wound in his neck. Fatal.

He swallowed water as he sank to the bottom, feeling...calm. Not anything eerie, nothing was wrong.

He just felt ca-

 

 

 

 

 

Takao opened his eyes and blinked. The world seemed wavy around him, and his bed felt grainy, but he was  _ alive _ . It was all a horrible dream.

A horrible, horrible dream.

_ It was just a dream.  _ Takao breathed out, bubbles floating out of his mouth which drifted towards the surface. Takao relaxed into his bed for a moment, knowing that he was going to meet up with Midorima, and that they were going to leave everything behind-

_ Bubbles floated out of my mouth _ . He thought suddenly, and he jumped out of bed-

But he did not jumped out of bed. Instead he pushed off the place that he had fallen to, right at the bottom of the ocean. He looked down at his hands in terror, and he was right. Human nails had been replaced with ones twice their size. Takao licked his teeth and found that they were the same.

_ Where is he?  _ Takao panicked, not because he was a siren, because he didn’t know where Midorima was. He dashed around in circle, looking for pale skin or green hair. He ignored the sweet taste in the back of his mouth before he realized that he didn’t  _ know  _ enough to do this, he didn’t  _ know  _ enough about himself to search by hand.

He followed the sweet scent until he saw him.

Midorima.

Laying there as still as death, eyes opened wide.

Takao collapsed in on himself, cursing the people above for doing this to him- for doing this to  _ them _ . He cursed sirens, the very thing he was.

He cursed Midorima, for falling in love with him.

He cursed death, for keeping them apart.

**Author's Note:**

> Fuck...this thing was a beast to write, rewrite, then edit. I...I need a nap. Expect an update this week or next.  
> (ᴗ˳ᴗ)


End file.
